Composite insulated panel for upward acting door

ABSTRACT

A sectional garage door panel formed by a member including a front wall, top and bottom edges and spaced apart back wall parts defining an interior space which is partially filled with an expandable PUR foam insulation material. A rigid polystyrene insulation member is placed in the interior space and bonded to the expanding foam material. The panel is placed in a laminator to secure the insulation member in the panel interior space during foam expansion and to provide for forced foam expansion into spaces defining panel top and bottom edges. A sheet backer is adhesively bonded to the insulation member and the back wall parts. A system includes conveyors, foam and adhesive dispensing nozzle arrays and a laminator including conveyor belts which hold the insulation member forcibly within the interior space of the panel during foam expansion and curing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the manufacture of door panels, particularly sectional door panels for upward acting garage doors and the like, there has been a continuing need to improve the construction of such panels and methods of forming same. Sectional door panels for garage doors and the like are typically fabricated of sheets of metal or plastic which are roll formed or extruded into a particular cross sectional shape followed by insertion of insulation material into spaces defined by front and back walls of the panel. However, the placement of preformed insulation parts within the complex shapes of top and bottom edges of sectional door panels which are adapted to provide pinch resistant profiles, has become complicated. Also, there arise complications in inserting and attaching preformed insulation parts within door panels which have deeply embossed front walls, which embossments are typically added for strengthening the panel and for aesthetic purposes.

Still further, it is desirable to increase the speed with which sectional door panels are constructed, but manufacturing costs, properties of certain insulation materials and the lengthy cure time required for a fully insulated panel wherein the insulation material is injected as a curable foam into the void space between the panel front and back walls have also been somewhat nettlesome problems. Accordingly, there has been a need to provide improved insulated door panels for sectional doors, in particular, as well as a need for an improved manufacturing process for such insulated panels. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved insulated door panel, particularly a door panel for sectional upward acting garage doors and the like.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an improved insulated door panel is provided wherein the panel is formed of a rolled or folded sheet metal member or an extruded member forming a panel front wall, at least a portion of a back wall and top and bottom opposed edges adjoining the front and back walls and wherein the spaces defined by the aforementioned walls and edge or end portions is filled with an injected or sprayed in polymer foam insulation to occupy at least a portion of such spaces.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a door panel constructed as described above is provided with a somewhat rigid preformed block or sheet of polymer insulation material which is inserted within the space that has been at least partially filled with an expandable foam polymer insulation material to add rigidity to the panel and to minimize the volume of curable polymer insulation material that was sprayed into the panel's void spaces. In this way the cure time for expandable foam insulation is reduced, greater adhesion of the foam insulation to the panel wall surfaces is provided and a preformed insulation member is installed in the panel to allow installation of a back wall or a backer sheet member to the panel to complete the manufacturing process rapidly and efficiently.

Still further, the present invention provides an improved method of making door panels, particularly relatively large sectional door panels for garage doors and the like wherein a fully insulated panel may be provided by injecting a curable foam insulation material into panel void spaces between a front wall and back wall of the panel including the narrowed or convoluted spaces defined by opposed panel edges, to at least fill the narrowed spaces, and followed by placement of a relatively large block or part of already formed insulation material within the panel. The preformed insulation member is adhered to the injected foam insulation material, allows the injected or poured in insulation material to occupy spaces within the panels which are difficult to access with preformed insulation parts and allows installation of a backing sheet or backer at an improved rate of production of sectional door panels, in particular.

The present invention still further provides an improved manufacturing and assembly apparatus particularly adapted for providing the improved method and panel construction in accordance with the invention.

Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the above-noted advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation view of a sectional garage door panel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view in somewhat schematic form of a door panel fabrication and assembly system for a door panel in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the panel fabrication system showing the step of placing a preformed block or sheet of insulation material in a space formed between front and back walls of a door panel; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken generally from line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the description which follows like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawing with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures may not necessarily be to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat generalized or schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a sectional door panel in accordance with the invention and generally designated by the numeral 10. The door panel 10 is particularly adapted for being connected to additional door panels to form an upward acting sectional door, such as a residential or commercial garage door or the like. The panel 10 is preferably characterized by a continuous sheet metal member 12 which may be formed by a suitable metal forming process or extruded to provide a front wall 14, an upper edge 16, and a lower edge 18. Alternatively, the panel member 12 may be formed of extruded plastic or formed of more than one part.

Door panel 10 includes a convex curved edge part 20 forming part of the upper edge 16 and a planar portion 22 which is folded to provide a suitable recess for securing spaced apart hinge members 24 along the upper edge of the door as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The continuous member 12 forming the front wall 14 and the portions 20 and 22 extends to a sloping wall portion 22 a and then to a portion forming a panel upper back wall part 26 which is reinforced by folding the distal end of upper back wall part 26 over at 28, FIG. 2. Lower edge 18 of panel 10 is provided with a convex curved tip 30 and the continuous member 12 is further formed to provide a concave part 32, a recess 34 for a seal member 36, a sloping wall 38 and a lower back wall part 40 substantially co-planar with back wall part 26 and folded over at 42 to reinforce back wall part 40. A complementary hinge member 44 is mounted on inclined wall part 38 at spaced apart points, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the front wall 14 may be suitably formed with one or more embossments 14 a and 14 b which are preferably provided extending along the length of panel 10 and may be provided for reinforcing front wall 14 and for aesthetic purposes. Other embossments, not shown, may be formed in front wall 14 between the debossed or embossed portions 14 a and 14 b.

Opposite side edges 15 a and 15 b of panel 10 are preferably provided with preformed end stile members 50 and 52, see FIG. 1, extending between top and bottom edges 16 and 18 and between front wall 14 and back wall parts 26 and 40. The panel 10 is similar in some respects to the door panels described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,226 issued Sep. 30, 2003, to L. Blake Whitley and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The door panel 10 is also similar in certain respects to the door panel described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/308,301 filed Dec. 3, 2002 by Whitley et al. and also assigned to the assignee of the present invention. However, the panel 10 also differs from the panels described in the previous identified references in certain respects, as will be described hereinbelow.

Referring further to FIG. 2, the panel 10 includes a relatively large interior space defined between the edges 16 and 18 and between the front wall 14 and the rear or back wall parts 26 and 40. This interior space is generally designated by the numeral 54 in FIG. 2 and includes complex, relatively inaccessible, space portions 54 a and 54 b delimited by the top and bottom edges 16 and 18 of the panel 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Space 54 is typically closed by a substantially planar backer sheet 56 which extends between the end stiles 50 and 52 and between and overlaps the back wall parts 26 and 40, also as shown in FIG. 2. Backer sheet 56 may be formed of sheet metal or other materials and is suitably secured to the panel 10 in a manner to be described further herein. Backer sheet 56 includes opposed inturned longitudinal edges 56 a and 56 b engageable with top and bottom back wall parts 26 and 40, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring further to FIG. 2, interior space 54, 54 a, 54 b is entirely filled with insulation material as illustrated. In particular, all of space 54 a including that defined by the top edge 16 and all of space 54 b including that defined by the lower or bottom edge 18, as well as an elongated connecting section 54 c, is filled with a fluid like insulation material which is hardenable in place in spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c. Such material, forming a member 58, preferably comprises an expanded polyurethane (PUR) foam material of a type commercially available and which is suitably injected in a fluid-like state into the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c by an improved process described hereinbelow. The aforementioned curable foam polymer material, after flowing into and filling spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c, comprises insulation member 58 and which is contiguous with the entire inner surface of the sheet member 12 forming the front wall 14, the top and bottom edges 16 and 18 and the back wall parts 26 and 40, as illustrated. By injecting an expandable and curable polymer foam into the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c on a substantially continuous basis, throughout the length of member 12 between the opposite lateral side edges 15 a and 15 b, so as to form the member 58, the entire inner wall surface of the sheet member 12 is contiguous with insulation material. Moreover, the structure defined by the sheet member 12 is adhered to the insulation member 58 and strengthened by the presence of the insulation member 58.

Prior to complete curing of the insulation member 58 and while the expanding foam material forming such member, and occupying spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c, is still in a somewhat fluid state, a preformed elongated sheet or block member 60 of substantially rigid insulation material is placed in the space 54, as shown in FIG. 2, in intimate contact with the insulation member 58. Since the material forming member 58 is still curing at the time of contact with member 60, members 58 and 60 also bond to each other along contiguous surfaces including surfaces 60 a, 60 b and 60 c of insulation member 60. Moreover, by injecting foam insulation material into space 54 c, the requirement of a preformed insulation member conforming to the geometry of any deep embossed portions of front wall 14 is avoided. Lastly, upon placement of the insulation member 60 within space 54 in the position shown in FIG. 2, and upon placement of an adhesive on surface 60 d, for example, backer sheet 56 is placed against and adhered to back wall parts 26 and 40 and insulation member 60, thus providing a rigid, lightweight, sound deadening and thermally insulated member which enjoys advantages sought in a sectional garage door panel.

Fabrication of the door panel 10 is advantageously carried out in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a somewhat schematic plan view of a panel fabrication and assembly system, generally designated by the numeral 70. The system 70 includes an elongated conveyor 72 operable to move door panels 10 therealong in the direction of arrow 74. Preformed sheet members 12, which have been formed to provide the edges 16 and 18 and back wall parts 26 and 40, are placed seriatim on conveyor 72 with respective front walls 14 facing and supported by the conveyor. Selected workstations are provided along conveyor 72 including a workstation 76 for applying the seal strip 36 into recess 34, followed by an operation at a workstation 78 to place a polymer wear strip 31, FIG. 2, along the distal end 30 of bottom edge 18 and a portion of surface 32. As a panel 10 moves to a workstation 79 shown in FIG. 3, and while on conveyor 72, hinge members 24 and 44 may be applied to the top and bottom edges 16 and 18 in a manner described in the aforementioned patent and patent application. End stiles 50 and 52 may or may not be applied to the panel 10 at workstation 79.

Subsequent to installation of the hinge parts 24 and 44, at least at intermediate locations on panel 10, the end stiles 50 and 52 may be fastened to member 12. However, it may be preferable to install stiles 50 and 52 after other steps described herein are carried out. The panel 10 is moved from workstation 79 to a workstation 80, FIGS. 3 and 4, at which PUR foam is injected into the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c by an array of injection nozzles 82, see FIG. 4 also. As shown in FIG. 4, the array of injection nozzles 82 includes spaced apart nozzles 84 a, 84 b, 84 c and 84 d, for example, which may be suitably connected to a support 86 for adjusting the position of the nozzles with respect to a panel 10 for supplying the PUR foam to the panel. Commercially available PUR foam injection equipment and nozzles may be used for the injection process. The nozzles 84 a and 84 d may be configured to inject the PUR foam at a higher rate than that which is supplied by the nozzles 84 b and 84 c so as to fill the larger volumes of the spaces 54 a and 54 b as the panel 10 traverses the workstation 80. Foam injection onto member 12 in spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c is timed to not run over the opposed lateral edges 15 a and 15 b. The PUR foam injection rate is also, of course, timed with the speed of movement of a panel 10 as it traverses along conveyor 72, passes through workstation 80 and proceeds to a workstation 88, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, at which station the direction of movement of the panel 10 changes from that of the arrow 74 to that of arrow 90 in FIG. 3. Work station 88 may include panel support rollers 88 a, FIG. 4, between which, as shown in FIG. 5, workstation 88 may also include an endless conveyor belt 91 which may be controlled by a human operator 92 via an actuator 93 to engage and move a panel 10 from the position shown in FIG. 5 at station 88 to a laminator station 89. Station 89 is characterized by opposed endless conveyor belts 94 and 96, FIG. 5, defining a space 98 therebetween along which spaced apart panels 10 may be traversed, as shown. Belts 94 and 96 are preferably drivenly connected to each other in timed relationship by a suitable drive mechanism 97.

Referring further to FIGS. 4 and 5, station 89 is also provided with a magazine 100 for storage of plural insulation members 60 disposed in a stack 61 and feedable seriatim into a position resting on a sloped wall 103, FIG. 5, by an endless conveyor belt 105, which may also be controlled by the operator 92. As a member 60 is presented on sloped wall 103 it may be grasped by the operator 92 and placed into the cavity or space 54 of a panel 10, as shown in FIG. 5. At this point, the PUR foam which has been injected into the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c of a panel 10 is still expanding and flowable, and placement of a member 60 in space 54 will result in intimate contact of member 60 with the PUR foam, which will form insulation member 58, along all of surfaces 60 a, 60 b and 60 c. The expanding foam insulation member 58 will also work its way into all of the smaller and narrower portions of spaces 54 a and 54 b to completely fill the interior of the panel 10, as indicated in FIG. 2.

Upon placement of the insulation member 60 in space 54, conveyor belt 91 is actuated to transfer a panel 10 to the space 98 between conveyor belts 94 and 96, FIG. 5. As a panel 10 enters the space 98 between the conveyor belts 94 and 96, the insulation member 60 is held in its predetermined position, as indicated in FIG. 2, while any further expansion of the PUR foam into the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c occurs to completely fill such spaces and to forcibly bond to the member 60 and to the inner surfaces of the front wall 14, the top and bottom edges 16 and 18 and the back wall parts 26 and 40. In this way a superior, fully insulated and strengthened door panel 10 is provided.

Referring further to FIGS. 3 and 5, as a panel 10 emerges from the space 98 between conveyor belt 94 and 96 the injected PUR foam member 58 is substantially expanded and solidified to the extent that no further foam expansion or movement of the member 60 will occur. Accordingly, as a panel 10 emerges from between conveyor belts 94 and 96 it is deposited onto a conveyor 110 which traverses the panel 10 in the direction of arrow 112, FIG. 3, through a workstation 114. Workstation 114 is provided with an array of spaced apart nozzles 116, FIG. 5, between which a further array of nozzles 118 is disposed. The nozzles of nozzle array 116 are adapted to deposit a viscous adhesive along the outward facing surfaces of back wall parts 26 and 40 while the nozzle array 118 sprays a suitable adhesive onto the surface 60 d of member 60. As panel 10 emerges from station 114, it is placed at a workstation 116, FIG. 3, where a human or mechanical operator, both not shown, may place a backer sheet 56 in its final position, as shown in FIG. 2, suitably adhered to the back wall parts 26 and 40 and to the member 60 at surface 60 d. A panel 10 may be suitably removed from workstation 116 by traversing the panel along a further conveyor, not shown, or by removing the panel and stacking same for further processing of the panel, if required, such as attachment of the end stiles 50 and 52, if not previously attached.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the process described and shown, in conjunction with system 70 shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, as well as the construction of the door panel 10 is superior. The door panel 10 is advantageously provided with a cured insulative polymer foam member 58 and a substantially rigid insulative member 60 occupying the entirety of the interior space of the panel. The combination of the polyurethane foam insulation material forming member 58 and the insulation member 60 is superior with respect to cost, structural advantages and thermal insulative properties. Member 60 is preferably formed of expanded polystyrene (EPS) having a density in a range of about 1.0 to 2.0 lbs. per cubic ft. while the PUR foam 58, when expanded completely and cured to occupy spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c, preferably has a density of about 1.8 to 2.5 lbs. per cubic ft. and more preferably a range of 1.8 to 2.2 lbs. per cubic ft. Insulation member 58 may also be formed by a non-expanding, curable insulation material injected or poured into the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c in sufficient quantity to completely fill such spaces and bond to member 60. However, the expandable PUR foam material further assures complete filling of the spaces 54 a, 54 b and 54 c. The sound absorbing and thermal insulative properties of the structure described and shown is superior and the system and method of installing these materials in the interior of a formed metal or plastic door panel, generally of the type described herein, is also superior.

Although a preferred embodiment of an insulated and strengthened door panel in accordance with the invention has been described in detail herein together with a method of fabrication of same, and equipment used in such method, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. 

1. An insulated sectional door panel comprising: a front wall, a top edge, a bottom edge and spaced apart back wall parts spaced from said front wall, said front wall, said top edge, said bottom edge and said back wall parts defining an interior space; at least portions of said interior space delimited by said top edge and said bottom edge being filled with a hardenable fluid-like insulation material; and a major portion of the remainder of said interior space is filled by a preformed member of insulation material disposed in said interior space and bonded to said hardenable insulation material.
 2. The door panel set forth in claim 1 wherein: said hardenable insulation material comprises a quantity of expandable foam insulation material bonded to said front wall and extending between said portions of said interior space defined by said top edge and said bottom edge.
 3. The door panel set forth in claim 2 including: a backer sheet adhesively bonded to said preformed member of insulation material.
 4. The door panel set forth in claim 3 wherein: opposite edges of said backer sheet are adhesively bonded to said back wall parts, respectively.
 5. The door panel set forth in claim 1 wherein: said hardenable insulation material is applied to said portions of said interior space defined by said top edge and said bottom edge by injecting an expandable polymer foam thereinto.
 6. The door panel set forth in claim 5 wherein: said preformed member of insulation material is placed in said interior space while said foam insulation material is expanding within said portions of said interior space and said preformed member of insulation material is forcibly held in said interior space during said expansion of said foam insulation material.
 7. The door panel set forth in claim 1 wherein: said front wall, said top edge, said bottom edge and said back wall parts are formed from a single continuous member formed of one of sheet metal or plastic.
 8. A method for fabricating an insulated sectional door panel comprising the steps of: providing said door panel having a front wall, a top edge and a bottom edge and defining an interior space for placement of insulation material to form a substantially rigid insulated door panel; injecting a quantity of fluid-like insulation material into portions of said interior space defined by said top edge and said bottom edge; placing a substantially rigid insulation member in said interior space; and allowing said insulation material to fill substantially all of said interior space not occupied by said insulation member, and bond to said insulation member.
 9. The method set forth in claim 8 including the step of: providing said insulation material as expandable polymer foam insulation material; and forcibly retaining said insulation member in said interior space during expansion of said foam insulation material.
 10. The method set forth in claim 9 including the step of: forcibly retaining said insulation member in said interior space by traversing said panel between endless belt means from one workstation to another.
 11. The method set forth in claim 8 including the steps of: passing said panel along a conveyor in proximity to an array of injection nozzles, said array of injection nozzles including first nozzle means operable to inject quantities of expandable foam insulation material into interior spaces defined by said top edge and said bottom edge and further injection nozzle means arranged to inject a quantity of expandable foam insulation material within said interior space between said top edge and said bottom edge.
 12. The method set forth in claim 11 including the step of: placing said insulation member in said interior space contiguous with said foam insulation material.
 13. The method set forth in claim 8 including the step of: applying an adhesive along an outer facing surface of said insulation member and securing a backer member to said panel adhered to said surface of said insulation member.
 14. The method set forth in claim 13 including the step of: applying adhesive to opposed spaced apart back wall parts of said panel and securing said backer member to said panel at said back wall parts, respectively.
 15. A method for forming a sectional door panel characterized by a continuous sheet member formed to provide a front wall, a top edge, a bottom edge and spaced apart back wall parts all formed from said sheet member and defining an interior space of said panel between said front wall and said back wall parts; filling at least portions said interior spaces formed by said top edge and said bottom edge with an expandable foam insulation material; placing a substantially rigid insulation member in said interior space prior to complete expansion of said foam insulation material while allowing said foam insulation material to expand into engagement with said insulation member; and allowing said foam insulation material to cure to form a substantially rigid insulated door panel.
 16. The method set forth in claim 15 including the step of: traversing said panel past an array of nozzles for injecting said foam insulation material into said interior space in a predetermined pattern for filling said portions of said interior space and a further portion of said interior space therebetween and followed by placing said insulation member in said interior space.
 17. The method set forth in claim 16 including the step of: traversing said panel between endless belt means to forcibly secure said insulation member within said interior space during expansion of said foam insulation material.
 18. The method set forth in claim 17 including the step of: applying adhesive to an outer facing surface of said insulation member and said back wall parts, respectively; and placing a backer sheet in forcible engagement with said insulation member and said back wall parts and secured thereto by said adhesive.
 19. A system for fabricating insulated sectional door panels, each of said panels comprising one or more sheet members formed to provide a front wall, a top edge, a bottom edge and spaced apart back wall parts of said panel and defining an interior space of said panel to be occupied by insulation material, said system comprising: a first conveyor for a traversing said panel past an array of fluid insulation material injection nozzles arranged to inject flowable fluid-like insulation material into portions of said interior space defined in part by said top edge and said bottom edge; a first workstation for receiving said panel with said fluid insulation material injected into said interior space, said workstation including means for dispensing a substantially rigid insulation member for placement in said interior space; and a second workstation including conveyor means for traversing said panel with said insulation material and said insulation member disposed in said interior space therealong and including a member engageable with said insulation member to forcibly retain said insulation member in said interior space during hardening of said insulation material.
 20. The system set forth in claim 19 wherein: said second workstation includes spaced apart endless belt means defining a space therebetween to be occupied by at least one of said panels and to forcibly hold said insulation member in said interior space.
 21. The system set forth in claim 20 including: drive means for driving said endless belt means in timed relationship to each other.
 22. The system set forth in claim 20 including: a third workstation including adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive to a surface of said insulation member after at least partial hardening of said insulation material.
 23. The system set forth in claim 22 including: a conveyor for traversing said panel through said third workstation; and a fourth workstation for receiving a panel from said third workstation for applying a backer sheet to said panel and adhered to said insulation member. 